Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Florida voters must be climate voters in 2020
Florida is one of the epicenters of the climate crisis already raging in the United States and, unless Florida voters do something about it, the situation will only get worse.
Climate change is making hurricanes stronger. Although Palm Beach County dodged Hurricane Isaias, more hurricanes will follow, and we will not always be lucky. With stronger hurricanes and storms, flooding is now commonplace and will become even more destructive in the coming years. Soon, Florida could experience as many as 105 days with a heat index over 100 degrees. These heat waves will kill — yes, kill — seniors and destroy agriculture. And, as climate change ravages Central American and Caribbean countries, Florida will become the destination for thousands of climate refugees. These are not the predictions of alarmists. This is the consensus of scientists, the U.S. military, Florida state and federal officials, and the same companies that are at the center of America’s carbon footprint.
It is clear that one presidential campaign is serious about stopping the climate crisis and the other is not. President Trump, whose campaign is funded by fossil fuel money, neither understands nor cares about the risk to Florida’s seniors and younger generations. His administration has ignored investment in clean infrastructure and disintegrated America’s global leadership in addressing the crisis. The
U.S. once pressured China, India and other polluting countries to reduce their carbon emissions, but now we are silent, floundering in the backwash, as other countries shape the new green economy. But President Trump’s mistakes do not have to be our own.
Our government can no longer ignore the risk to Florida from the climate crisis. While local institutions should plan to adapt to a changing climate, the federal government must still focus on preventing the worst impacts of climate change. For decades, we have known that using fossil fuels for electricity and transportation is a leading cause of climate change. The time for that debate is over. In the last few years, we have started to realize that the climate crisis is upon us, and that it is the fundamental threat of our era. Now, it is time for Florida voters to come together and bring to bear our awesome power in federal elections to force action on climate.
The changes that we need are clear. First, we need to transition our energy systems from fossil fuels to renewable sources. The sunshine state can and should become a powerhouse in solar power generation and wind-power infrastructure. Second, Florida must develop a low emission transportation network through investments in electric cars, public transportation and rail networks. Joe Biden has an actionable plan to do just that. His proposals include the installation of 500 million solar panels and 60,000 made-in-America wind turbines within five years. He has also pledged to work with local officials to install 500,000 electric vehicle charging outlets by the end of 2030.
These changes are necessary and urgent, and they can only happen if, in November, Florida voters become climate voters.